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New subvariants of Omicron BF. 7 and BA. 5. 1. 7 have been detected in China amid the most recent Covid surge in the country. Both subvariants are said to be highly infectious with increased transmissibility. China reported 1,878 cases on Sunday, since August. Feb. 20, when the week-long National Day holiday saw cases emerge among returning travelers. The cases were attributed to the new subvariants of Omicron.
The BF. 7 subvariant, which was first detected in northwest China, spread to other Chinese provinces on Monday, the Global Times reported, while the BA. 5. 1. 7 subvariant was detected in mainland China for the first time.
Cases since October have risen due to the BF. 7 variant, Global Times reported mentioning officials.
“Judging by the characteristics of the BF. 7, if decisive preventive measures are not followed in time, it is quite imaginable that it will also become the dominant variant in China,” the Global Times reported.
Read more: China’s Tourist Holiday Travel Drops 18% in National Day Holiday Week
Previously, the World Health Organization had also warned about the highly infectious COVID subvariant BF. 7, expecting it to be a new dominant variant.
China has implemented strict zero-covid measures to eliminate chains of transmission through border restrictions, mass testing, extensive quarantines, and instant lockdowns. But so far, politics has not been able to spread the virus.
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